Piece cutting machine



July 20, 1948. F. D. LUTERAN PIECE CUTTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 14, 1943 m m m m July 20, 1948. LUTERAN' 2,445,488

- PIECE CUTTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 14, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 3 11 ,H lu /"avz Patented July 20, 1948 U NIT ED- STAT 1 2,445,488 Pinon comma Machine l Luteran, Dearborn, Application October 14, 19431; Serlalfio. stem seiaims; (01. when This invention relates to cutting machines and;

particularlyto a machine for cuttingpieces of predetermined length from an elongated element;- without crowding the pieces one upon theothen The machine of the present invention may be employed for cuttingany element-into sections or predetermined length andis particularly useful for cutting lengths of candy into a plurality of pieces. Certain kinds of candy are made up inrolls of a length to bereceived by the width-of the machine and are placeli upon carriers which are attached toa continuous conveyor for ii-ving' the rolls under the cutting elements. The cutting elements are preferably rotatable cutting discs which are mounted in echelon to the right and: left of a central blade, in V-form'ation. The candy rolls are fed into the central blade first to cut the rolls intotwo halves, which are moved apart the width of the blade; The carrier movesthe two halves into the nextadjacent pair ofblades and a piece of candy is out from each inner adjacent end of the halves and are moved towardeachother into substantially abutting: relation. Each of the two blades will move the severed pieces of candy inwardly half the thickness of the blade, or the thickness of the first blade which severed the bar into the: two halves. The carrier moves thetwo remaining port-ionsof the roll halves into the next adjacent pair of blades which sever two pieces of candy from the inner ends thereof. The roll. halves are moved outwardly and the severed: pieces are moved inwardly half the thickness of the blade and are-spaced apart the thickness of the blade. The severed pieces will be spaced from the pieces severed prior thereto toa dis-- tance equal to half the thickness of the blade. The two remaining portions of the rol-lsare con-- tl-nuously moved in this manner through the pairs of blades which are spaced further, apart progressively from the: front to the rear end of themachine. The pieces of candy are cut fromthe rolls without contacting or crowding each other and without compressing the rolls as occurred when all ofthe pieces were cut from the ends inwardly toward the center of the rolls, or when all of the pieces were cut simultaneously.

Accordingly, thefimain objects of this invention are: to arrange a plurality of cutting blades in echelon both right and left-handed from a central blade for cutting a roll into pieces without compacting any portion of the pieces. orroll; to: provide a; machine with a plurality: of' rotating blades which are mounted in pairs in V-forma:-- tioni, fromv a single: front blade; to. construct. a.

" there'ot:

Fig; 5 is a broken: view: in. perspective, of-ronemaehinerhaving scone-moment made on at a.

plurality of candy: roli carriershaving slot'si aligned: with a 'p'lur'ahtyof cutting blades;-whicl'r are mounted in pairs rearwardlylor: a single; front blade and progressively spaced: a' greater: distance apart depending uponthetspaclng of the slots andthi-cknesses of the pieces oficandy to be. severed;- to drive a belthaving a pliiralitys 0t carrier's thereoniinden a plurality-of driven: cutting" discs which are disposed in- \l formation for initially severing the candy-roll, or other: el'e ment; into two parts: and forthereafter cuttinfi" piecestherefrom pi' ogres'si'velys from the inner adiacentsends or use parts; and; ingeneral; to provide a candy" cutting mecmnewmen is simple: in construction, positive in operaticnand eco nominal of in'anufacturi'a other objects and'features of i'novelty or this: invention will. be specifically pointed out or become apparent when referring; for a. better understanding of? the inventicn,. to the following: descriptiontaken in conjunction with the: aca companyi'ng drawings, wherein:

Figure 1' is a 'perspectiveview of a .candyz'cuir ting machine embodying: features of; thisinirenx tio'n:

Fig. 21 is a. sectional niewxof ltheimachine illustrated: in Fig-i, 1; taken. on the: line l e-=2: thereof; v

Fig; 3? is: an enlarged sectionals View of: the: structureiliustrated in Fig. 2, taken; on that-line; 3i=e+3 thereof;- I

Fig; his a reduced sectionalaivi'ew cfathestruca ture illustrated: in Fig; 2;; taken. onzthe-ilines end of a car-r'ierforming; theeonveyinn portion. of the machine illustrated-llama: 1 and.

Fig; 6 i is a perspectivevview 'ofr-aepiece-of candy which hassbeen-severed by theemachineaillusetrate'dinFi 11- In :the figures, the body; It; of; the candy severe ingi machine isillustrated as; beingmenntedlcm a. base; '7, upon which: atmotor; iSgSlliiDOltti-ld fOfd-IifiHS fil'COD-VBYQI t3 andia plurality of? blade} carrying shafts. It. The; shafts L4. hare; a: sprocket wheer I51 attached. thereto nean one side,

over the-.sprccket wheelsvtiaandzare imtceddofwne wardly thereover at; the tonby idlenrollers; lit which are; disposed; in contact with r the?! topson the chain betweenthe" sprocket; wheels, sprocket'rwheeli911 is--.mbunted:. 111mm a: shaftiirl: supported. upon, the; frame element of: base-s A:.lpuiley' 2134 on; theisheftfolzi theimnton' 3 drives a pulley 24, the shaft 25 of which carries a pulley 26 which drives a pulley 21 mounted on the shaft 2|. This train of pulleys reduces the speed of operation of the chain i1 and of the conveyor l3.

A pulley 28 on the shaft 2| drives a belt 29 which drives a pulley 3| and shaft 32 on which sprocket wheels 33 are keyed adjacent to the inner faces of the side elements IS. A shaft 34 is mounted on the opposite end of the body l having a pair of sprocket wheels 35 secured thereon near the inner faces of the elements It.

Sprocket chains 36 are mounted over the sprocket wheels 33 and to be driven in roll carriers 38 are supported in to each other on the chains 35 by the support: ing plates 39 which are attached to the chain links 4|. secured to the underside of the carriers 38 by a pair of screws 42. The carriers areprovided witha concave recess Mforreceiving the element, 'orrolls, to be cut into the pluralityof pieces, the surface of which is interrupted by a plurality of slots 44 spaced apart the width of the pieceto be severed.

The. shafts I 5 extend across the side elements l6 ofthe body land have disc-shaped cutting blades mounted thereon. The frontmost shaft l5 has a cutting blade 45 keyed, or "otherwise secured, thereto at the central point of the shaft. When the carriers move the elements to be severed to wardthisblade, the blade will out the elements into'two halves and-itv is from the interjacent endsof these halves t at subsequent pieces will be severed.

The next adjacent shaft 15 is provided-with a pair of blades 46 which are spaced from "each other a distanceequal to twic the length of a piece to be severed and the thickness of one of a blade. .The thickness of the blade is taken into consideration because of the movement of the two halves away from each other when-severed by the blade 45 which-spaces the two ends of the halvesa'part the width of the blade.

The next adjacent shaft I5 has a pair of blades 4'!v mounted, the cutting. edges, of which are spaced'outwardly from cutting edges of the blades 46, a distance equal to the thickness of the" pieces to becut and one-half of the blade thickness. Additional pairs of blades 48 are'similarly spaced further apart from the adjacent blades," when mounted on additional shaft, for successfully severingpieces of candy from the inner ends of the remainder of the two halves of the element, or candy rolls. With this arrangement, none of the pieces of candy interferewitheach other during the severingoperations.

.Bars 5| are mounted across the top portion of the side elements l6 for supporting spring brackets 52 having wiping pads 53 on their inner surfaces which engage the side of each blade and collect. any particles of the candy, or other material; being severed and apply a lubricant to prevent the candy, or other material, from adhering theretos A bar 5| is provided for each of. the rows of blades having brackets 52 thereon, which support the wiping pads 53 in engagement with the'sblade adjacentthereto; vSlide covers 54 and 55 are: mounted in slots on the inner face of the side element 16' for covering the. blades, while rendering them accessible when the blades, or other portion of the machine, are to be examined or repaired. Theshaft: 34has its ends mounted in' slides which are-adjustable by the lead screws The inner end of the plates 39 are for adjusting the tension on the chains 36 of the conveyor l3.

In operation, when candy rolls, or other material, is to be severed into like pieces, the rolls are disposed seriatim in the carriers 38 as they are advanced by the driving mechanism of the machine past the first cutting blade 45, as the blade is rotated downwardly toward the rolls. The belt 29 is twisted so as to produce movement in these directions from the operation of the shaft 2!. As the bars are advanced from right to left in the machine, as illustrated in the figures, the bar is first cut in half by the blade 45. Thereafter,

unison by the r operation of the belt 29. A pluralit of candy 7 spaced relation as the carriers are continuously driven, the tWo halves will be carried under successive blades "to have pieces cut from the inner end thereof until the carrier passes from the blades and the severed candy may be removed, or be delivered 3 to a container under the left-hand end of the machine, when the carriers revolve about the shaft 32.

It is only necessaryto place the candy rolls,-

or lengths of other material, on the carriers at the right-hand end of the machine to have the pieces severed without interfering with each other or having the pieces compacted, or deformed. A piece of candy 51 is shown in Fig, 6, for the purpose of illustration, and it is to be understood that the machine and the method embodied thereon is not to be limited to this particular application as the machine is useful forsevering any material, when it is desired to retain the severed pieces out Ofcontact with each other without being'compacted or deformed. 1

Whatl claim as my invention:

l. The method of severing a length of material into a plurality of like pieces which includes. the steps: of cutting the length into two halves and spreading the halves apart, and of thereafter simultaneously cutting pieces from the inner ends of the halves whilemoving the pieces from each other in the spaces between the halves.

, 2. The method of cutting a lengthof material into a plurality of like pieces which includes the stepszpf advancing the length through a plurality of cutting blades, of first severing the length into two'halves and moving the halves apart the width of the cutting blade, and of thereafter severing pieces from the inner ends of the halves asthey are advanced through the blades to have the -remainder of the pieces move toward each other-a distance equal to half the thickness 'of theblades. 3'

3. The method of severing pieces of candy from a candy roll which includes the steps: of advancing the roll with its longitudinal axis disposed transversely of the machine, of severing the roll when passed through a machine into two halves so that the halves may move apart withoutdistortion, and thereafter simultaneously severing pieces from each adjacent end of the halves-as they'are moved toward each other without being distorted.

.4. The method of severing pieces of candy from a candy roll which includes the steps: of advance ing the roll with its longitudinal axis disposed transversely'of the machine, ofsevering the roll whenpassed through a machine into two halves andspreading the halves apart, thereafter simultaneousiy severing pieceslfrom each adjacent" end of the halves while moving the pieces toward each other. in the space between theyhalves, and. of simultaneously severingv additional" pieces .from adjacent ends '.of' "the. halves as the remaining portions of thehalves are'advan'ced throughaddi tional pairs of cutting blades while moving the severed pieces toward each other in the spaces therebetween.

5. In a machine for severing lengths of material into a plurality of individual pieces which includes, in combination, a frame, a base sup-, porting said frame, a carrier in said frame by which the lengths are carried through the machine, a plurality of cutting blades mounted in said machine in diverging relation from a front central blade which initially severs the length into two halves and spaces the halves apart so that the blades diverging therefrom can cut pieces from the halves without compressing the material, and means for driving the carrier.

6. In a machine for severing lengths of material into a plurality of individual pieces which includes, in combination, a frame, a base supporting said frame, a carrier in said frame by which the lengths are carried through the machine, a plurality of cutting blades mounted in said machine in diverging relation from a front central blade which initially severs the length into two halves and spaces the halves apart so that the blades diverging therefrom can cut pieces from the halves without compressing the material, means for driving the carrier toward the blades in a direction to first contact the central blade, and means for rotating the blades to have the peripheral edge move downwardly toward the lengths as they are advanced.

7. In a machine for severing lengths of material into a plurality of individual pieces which includes, in combination, a frame, a base supporting said frame, a carrier in said frame by which the lengths are carried through the machine, a plurality of cutting blades mounted in said machine in diverging relation from a front central blade which initially severs the length into two halves and spaces the halves apart so that the blades diverging therefrom can cut pieces from the halves without compressing the material, and means for driving the carrier toward the blades in a direction to first contact the central blade.

8. In a machine for severing lengths of material into a plurality of individual pieces which includes, in combination, a frame, a base supporting said frame, a carrier in said frame by which the lengths are carried through the machine, a plurality of cutting blades mounted in said machine in diverging relation from a front central blade which initially severs the length into two halves and spaces the halves apart so that the blades diverging therefrom can cut pieces from the halves without compressing the material, and means for rotating the blades to have the peripheral edge move downwardly toward the lengths as they are advanced.

FRANK D. LUTERAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 645,862 Letson et a1 Mar. 20, 1900 1,397,198 Alchin s- Nov. 15, 1921 1,418,511 Ayala June 6, 1922 1,993,466 Van Berkel Mar. 5, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 444,510 Germany May 21, 1927 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,445,488. July 20, 1948.

FRANK D. LUTERAN It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Column 4, lines 58 and 68, claims 3 and 4, respectively, strike out the words when passed through a machine; same column, line 55, claim 3, and hne 65, claim 4, before whic insert when passed through a, machine; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these c00frfirections therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Signed and sealed this 5th day of October, A. D. 1948.

[BEAL] THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

